Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 7, 2012

Kilauea Volcano outstrips industry in emitting pollutants into the air. Photo from USGS

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY FOR THE BIG ISLAND would more than double under a plan Hawaiian Electric Light Co. plans to submit to the state Public Utilities Commission. HELCO made the announcement yesterday, saying it wants 50 additional megawatts from geothermal for the power grid. HELCO currently uses 38 megawatts.
     HELCO also promised technical studies on the possibility of accepting power from geothermal energy projects that could be established around the island. Currently, Puna Geothermal Venture is the sole Big island geothermal operator. 

Puna Geothermal is expanding, and HELCO is opening up to new
companies with plans for geothermal around the island.
Photo from Puna Geothermal Venture

     Twenty responses to a recent request for best ways to pursue additional geothermal show “serious interest as we work toward adding more geothermal energy on Hawai`i Island,” said HELCO president Jay Ignacio. “We now plan to move forward to add more geothermal energy to our already considerable portfolio of renewable energy resources,” Ignacio said.

REDUCED ELECTRIC BILLS are already promised for the Big Island under an agreement approved by the PUC on Dec. 30, allowing Puna Geothermal to up its productivity from 30 to 38 megawatts. Rates will go down on the purchase price to HELCO for all geothermal between 25 and 38 megawatts. For geothermal power below 25 megawatts, HELCO will still pay the higher avoided cost price to Puna Geothermal Venture. It’s a price that was set years ago to incentivize the production of alternative energy. This avoided cost price is equal to the price of electricity produced by burning oil. 

Drilling for geothermal could take place in new locations.
Photo from Puna Geothermal Venture

     The 38 megawatts of geothermal, approved by the PUC, could power all of Hilo, according to HELCO. A single megawatt can power about 650 homes.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY has issued its annual report on toxic releases by industries in Hawai`i, and two of the top ten polluters are located on the Big Island. The biggest polluter, which is not on the list, remains Kilauea Volcano, emitting as many pollutants in a few days as industry on the island emits during an entire year. The Hawai`i Electric Light Co. power plant on Railroad Drive in Hilo is listed as the sixth largest polluter in the state, emitting more than 140,000 tons of pollutants in a year. Most of it is sulfuric acid. The other Big Island polluter on the EPA list is the Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area, where the emissions include lead and other metals as well as persistent, bio-accumulative toxic chemicals. Overall, however, toxic emissions from industry are down on the Big Island, in the categories of air, water, land, and disposing pollutants offsite. Toxic chemicals released into the environment increased in the category of underground injection, which includes storing and disposing liquids below the earth’s surface. These could become a threat to safe drinking water, the EPA notes.
     See more at http://iaspub.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_release.chemical

CANOE DISTRICTS FOR THE STATE SENATE, and possibly the state House of Representatives, may be in the future as the state Reapportionment Commission redraws voting district lines as demanded by the Hawai`i Supreme Court this week. In the Commission’s attempt to meet the Court’s requirement for the one-man, one-vote standard statewide, Senate and possibly House districts could possibly extend from one island to another, creating the Canoe Districts - something that reapportionment commissions in recent years have attempted to avoid. Reapportionment Commission chair Victoria Marks told Stephens Media reporter Nancy Cook Lauer that she may go to court to ask the judges how closely they want the commission to follow the population count. A strict interpretation could mean Canoe Districts, while a looser interpretation could prevent the canoe districts and keep communities together. 

Lorraine Inouye

     The Reapportionment Commission’s task to redraw voter district lines comes after the Supreme Court’s order to delete the transient military, student and inmate population from the population count when applying the one-man, one-vote rule. Including the transient population gave O`ahu more House and Senate seats per permanent population than the Big Island, which has seen the highest population growth rate in the state. 

     According to a story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, Lorraine Inouye, who previously served as the county’s mayor, a County Council member and state senator, has come up with a suggested map for Senate districts. She may be thinking of running for the new Senate seat. Her map shows one district including most of Hilo and extending south to Panaewa. Another district would extend from Panaewa all the way to Kailua Bay, including the territory where Sen. Gil Kahele now serves.
     Sen. Josh Green, who represents Kona, filed a brief with the Supreme Court asking for the court to require additional public hearings once the new districts are proposed. Green told the Tribune-Herald that his constituents want West Hawai`i to stay as one senate district rather than dividing it at Kailua Bay.
     The first day to sign up to run for office is Feb. 1, but opening day could be delayed until the reapportionment issues are settled.

TEACHERS, UNION LEADERS AND THE STATE came to an agreement last night for a new contract that would raise teacher pay and benefits as the economy improves. The deal will go to the 12,500 members of the Hawai`i State Teachers Association for a vote. The union and state are hoping to show more stability in planning for improvements in the school system to fend off a threat by the federal Department of Education to cancel a $75 million grant under its Race to the Top initiative.

SCORES ARE IN from last night’s Ka`u High School girls basketball games when Kamehameha School came to Pahala. Ka`u High athletic director Kalei Namohala reports that during the JV game, Ka`u’s Deisha Navarro scored 19 points, and Shyann Flores scored 10. For Kamehameha, Makamae Gabriel was high point scorer with 18 baskets. The nail biter ended with Kamehameha 38 and Ka`u 37.

     In the varsity game, Ka`u’s Joyce Ibasan was top scorer, followed by Taylor Pocock. For Kamehameha top scorers were Chelsea Poe, followed by Casey Poe. Final score was Kamehameha 60, Ka`u 23.

Young fishermen and families brave rough waters at last year's OKK
fishing tournament at Punalu`u.

THE FOURTH ANNUAL Keiki Fishing Tournament and Canned Food Drive at Punalu`u happens next Saturday, Jan. 14. Early registration is available, with forms available in Pahala at Mizuno Superette and Pahala Gas Station, in Na`alehu at B&E Union 76 gas station and Ace Hardware, and in Ocean View at Kahuku Mini-Mart and Ace Hardware. Hand poles, fishing gear and bait are provided as available for those without fishing equipment. Sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou, the event is a benefit for the Ka`u Family Center.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 6, 2012

This United States Geological Survey photo of a cinder cone and fountain in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park
was used by the artist to create the America the Beautiful quarter. Photo from USGS

A COFFEE ORIGIN BILL is going to the state Legislature this session noting that “The Legislature finds that the marketers of coffee blends that include Hawai`i-grown coffees almost never disclose the geographic origin of non-Hawai`i-grown coffee on the package. This non-disclosure of the geographic origin of the vast majority (usually 90 percent) of the coffee in such coffee blends confuses and misleads consumers.” When words like Hawaiian are used in large type as part of brand names at the top of coffee labels on which there is no disclosure of the origin of the 90 percent non-Hawai`i-grown coffee in a package, “consumers are often confused and mislead into believing that they are buying a package of Hawai`i-grown coffee.” Some labeling of Kona coffee, for example, “causes consumer fraud and confusion and degrades” the local coffee name, the bill states. The new bill would require on the labels, the listing of geographic origins of Hawai`i-grown coffees and all origins of coffees not grown in Hawai`i but included in any blend. The coffee blended into local coffee would be listed in descending order of percent by weight and include the country of origin. The bill is being introduced by Kona Sen. Josh Green, a former Ka`u resident who worked as a physician here.

The coffee berry borer gets into the berry and lays up to 300
eggs. Photo by Peggy Greb/USDA Ag Research Service

SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW COFFEE BERRY BORER QUARANTINE rules were expressed by coffee farmers yesterday at a state Department of Agriculture public hearing. The quarantine, aimed at protecting clean coffee farms in Ka`u and other areas, prohibits transporting untreated, unroasted coffee from infected areas to clean areas. It would also disallow transporting untreated coffee from infected areas to other islands. However, some Kona coffee growers called the proposed boundaries of infected areas haphazard and claimed they don’t work.
     According to a report by Carol Lucas-Zent in this morning’s West Hawai`i Today, instead of renewing the quarantine, which expired in December, some farmers “urged the department to fine-tune management and mitigation efforts.” The story quoted farmer Colehour Bondera, who is president of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association and owner of Kanalani `Ohana Farm, saying, “Coffee berry borer doesn’t stay put. It moves naturally, including with the wind. It's here and it’s not going away.”
     The proposed new rules would designate all of the Big Island as “coffee borer infested” for the purposes of shipping coffee to other islands. Within the county, the new rules would also give the Plant Quarantine Branch chief the responsibility for deciding which areas should be restricted from shipping coffee to other clean areas on-island. The chief would issue permits for treating plants, coffee bags, equipment and unroasted coffee being transferred from an infested area to a clean area. Another responsibility would be to quickly expand quarantine areas when coffee berry borers are found. The quarantine chief would be in charge of approving emerging treatments for the borer in the coffee field. Approved treatments in the coffee orchards are currently limited to pesticides with a fungus that controls the borer. Treatments of the harvested coffee itself include fumigation and heating the beans to 315 F for at least five minutes.
     During the meeting, some farmers suggested approving such coffee bean treatments as high-pressure power washing, freezing for at least 48 hours, treating with ozone, and shipping the coffee in impermeable bags.
     Farmers also suggested a self-certification process by affidavit since the Big Island is short of ag inspectors. The issue of abandoned coffee that may be an incubator for the coffee berry borer was also brought up by farmers who asked the state to provide an entomologist to be stationed in Kona to help with the coffee berry borer problem.
     Farmers and the public can still submit testimony to the Plant Quarantine Branch in Honolulu. See proposed new rules at http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/Info/proposedrules/

The U.S. Mint quarter depicts Kilauea Volcano to
represent Hawai`i in the America the Beautiful series.

AN ERUPTING KILAUEA VOLCANO will be engraved on a new America the Beautiful Quarter to be released Aug. 27 by the U.S. Mint. The depiction of a cinder cone and fountain at Pu`u `O`o was chosen over suggestions of hula dancers and other cultural and environmental illustrations. The volcanic image will adorn the coin to honor Hawai`i in the America the Beautiful series of coins representing all 50 states plus U.S. territories.
     The artist is U.S. Mint sculptor and engraver Charles L. Vickers. The coin, clad in Cupro-Nickel, is engraved with the words “Hawai`i Volcanoes,” “Hawaii 2012” and “E Pluribus Unum.” The flip side shows the familiar portrait of Pres. George Washington.
     Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park superintendent Cindy Orlando said the park staff is “very honored to be selected,” particularly with the iconic and straightforward image of the volcano on the coin.

WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE opening in two weeks, the state Council on Revenues has adjusted its forecast to give lawmakers an idea of projected state income. The council predicted yesterday that Hawai`i’s revenue would grow 11.5 percent. This is a lower rate than predicted last September, but Gov. Neil Abercrombie said the state is in solid financial position to fund his proposed $11.1 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year. He said he will keep close watch over the Council’s projections as the Legislature proceeds.

Catherine Robbins' Heart to Heart

THE OPENING RECEPTION for Volcano Art Center Gallery’s new exhibit is tomorrow, Saturday, at 5 p.m. This group exhibit celebrating Hawai`i Volcano Observatory’s centennial features paintings by Catherine Robbins and Alan Fine, ceramics by Tim Freeman and a live performance by poet Kimberly Dark. Park entrance fees apply.

PLASTICS IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN is the topic of a new book and a presentation by Captain Robert Moore and Megan Lamson at 5 p.m. today at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus. Moore is the man who discovered the Pacific Garbage Patch when sailing his 50-foot catamaran from Hawai`i to California. He has studied the plastics washing up on the Ka`u Coast and has researched the damage discarded plastics are doing to the marine food chain as well as becoming a hazard to ocean life. Lamson organizes volunteer clean-up parties to scour the Ka`u Coast, under the auspices of the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 5, 2012

A program about plastic in the Pacific Ocean begins today at 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani Campus.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL is what the Hawai`i Supreme Court ruled the new reapportionment plan for the state House of Representatives and Senate. The ruling, the first in Hawaiian history, gives Rep. Bob Herkes hope that he will be able to run for a House seat with nearly the same constituency he now serves from Volcano through Ocean View. The reapportionment deemed unconstitutional yesterday afternoon would have put Herkes in a district that ended near Punalu`u, cutting him off from Na`alehu, Kalae and Ocean View, where he has championed many projects. A group of people from Ocean View objected to the redistricting, noting that Herkes was a force in funding for the water well, regional disaster shelter and the South Kona Wilderness Area.
     The state’s highest court, however, ruled on two lawsuits against the Reapportionment Commission, brought to the court by two Big Island attorneys, Stan Roehrig and Michael Matsukawa. Roehrig represents four members of the Democratic party, chair Steve Pavao, Sen. Malama Solomon, Patti Cook and Louis Hao. Matsukawa said he aimed to represent the general public’s interest in his suit on the same issue. 

The state Supreme Court has ruled that the new
reapportionment plan is unconstitutional.

     The suits were based on the state including temporary residents, including the military, non-resident students and non-resident incarcerated people when counting the population and drawing the lines for the voting districts. This gave more weight to O`ahu, leaving the Big Island short on the one man, one vote principle. 

     The Supreme Court decision states that “the Hawaii Constitution, article IV, section 4, expressly mandates that only permanent residents be counted in the population base for the purpose of reapportionment.” The court concludes that the 2011 Final Reapportionment Plan “disregards this constitutional mandate by including non-permanent residents in the population base that the Reapportionment Commission used to allocate the members of the state Legislature among the basic island units.”

     When new reapportionment maps are drawn, Hawai`i County could wind up with four instead of three state Senate seats, and possibly add eight instead of nine House seats. The unanimous order instructs Reapportionment Commissioners to prepare and file a new plan.
     The state Legislature may have to extend the filing deadline for candidates running for the House and Senate this year in order to allow the Reapportionment Commission to draw the new maps.

THE QUARANTINE TO PREVENT the spread of the coffee berry borer has expired, and the state Department of Agriculture holds a public meeting today regarding modifying and making the quarantine permanent. The meeting will be held at 16 East Lanikaula Street in Hilo at 3 p.m. Rep. Clift Tsuji, chair of the state House Committee on Agriculture, said, “I would encourage Big Islanders to come out and let their concerns be known so that we can understand from a legislator's point of view how we can maintain our vigilance over the coffee berry borer, Testimony will be very important.” 

Coffee berry borer

     The quarantine prohibited unroasted coffee beans from being moved to other islands and from Kona to Ka`u and other areas of the island without treatment such as fumigation. However, the quarantine between regions on this island has been difficult to enforce, said Leslie Iseke, a plant import specialist. She told Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reporter Colin Stewart that one of the biggest changes proposed to the expired quarantine would be allowing green coffee beans to be transported outside of the primary areas of infestation to other areas on-island. “Coffee growers, roasters and processors would be expected to use their own common sense and judgment in limiting the spread of the infestation on the island.”
     Iseke said the Big Island’s coffee industry has taken the quarantine seriously and “done a good job of self policing, as the agriculture department’s resources are limited.” No extra hires have been made to cover inspections. At least one inspector from the Hilo side has been joining the two in Kona to increase inspections of coffee shipments traveling off island.
     The expiration of the quarantine means treatment of coffee being transported to other islands is no longer required, Iseke said, “which could possibly allow the spread of the coffee pest. The gap doesn’t mean we’re not doing whatever we can under the existing authorities we have available,” she said. “In terms of coffee leaving the Big Island, we’ve stepped up our inspections and sampling, because we’re still authorized to inspect propagated plants and plant parts.”
     So far, Tsuji said, federal and state agencies have contributed about $500,000 to combat the coffee berry borer infestation to prevent its spread to other islands.
     For a copy of the proposed administrative rules and more information, visit http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/Info/proposedrules/proposed-administrative-rules. 

Tim Freeman's ceramic vessel
Photo from VAC

THE OPENING RECEPTION for Volcano Art Center Gallery’s new exhibit is Saturday at 5 p.m. This group exhibit celebrating Hawai‘i Volcano Observatory’s centennial features paintings by Catherine Robbins and Alan Fine, ceramics by Tim Freeman and a live performance by poet Kimberly Dark. Park entrance fees apply.

PLASTICS IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN is the topic of a new book and a presentation by Captain Robert Moore and Megan Lamson tomorrow, Friday at 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus. Moore is the man who discovered the Pacific Garbage Patch when sailing his 50-foot catamaran from Hawai`i to California. He has studied the plastics washing up on the Ka`u Coast and has researched the damage discarded plastics are doing to the marine food chain as well as becoming a hazard to ocean life. Lamson organizes volunteer clean-up parties to scour the Ka`u Coast, under the auspices of the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 4, 2012

Honu`apo received funding for restoration from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Photo from The Nature Conservancy

HONU`APO ESTUARY WETLANDS is the recipient of $549,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Honu`apo is one of 24 projects in 13 states sharing in a portion of more than $20 million in funding, according to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, who made the announcement yesterday. “Coastal wetlands serve as some of nature’s most productive fish and wildlife habitat while providing storm protection, improved water quality, and abundant recreational opportunities for local communities,” Salazar said.
     Honu`apo is co-managed by the County of Hawai`i and Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo, a community organization founded by John Replogle, who helped lobby for funding to buy the coastal lands that were being sold off for development. The land runs from the Honu`apo pier to the raised lava flow toward Pahala and includes hundreds of acres of coastal lands, estuaries, historic sites and cliffs and bays.
     It is a favorite fishing and gathering place and refuge for sea turtles and other marine life, as well as migrating birds.

Volcanic activity could be the source of electricity for the Big Island
and beyond. Photo by Teresa Tico

GEOTHERMAL is expected to be touted as the energy of the future for the Big Island and beyond, as the Geothermal Working Group releases its final draft today in the office of Mayor Billy Kenoi. Geothermal Working Group co-chair Wally Ishibashi will present the report in detail, with supportive comments presented by the mayor. 

     Geothermal Working Group co-chair Richard Ha will discuss issues surrounding peak oil and its relevance to Hawai`i Island. Ha recently traveled to Iceland where he observed how the country recovered from the biggest financial crash in modern history. Ha stated, “They are recovering because they inoculated themselves from high oil prices by using low cost hydro and geothermal for 100 percent of their electricity and house heating. It is clear to me that had they used expensive biofuel to generate electricity, they would not be competitive in making aluminum for export. And instead of coming out of this disastrous financial situation, they would be facing years of depression. This is exactly why Hawai`i should not be using expensive biofuels to make electricity when we have low-cost geothermal,” Ha said in a press release from the mayor’s office.

Richard Ha, the geothermal advocate, on his
family farm.

     Ha was also sponsored by the County of Hawai`i to attend this year’s Association for the Study of Peak Oil Conference, which took place this past October in Washington, D.C.
     A biofuel project on some 13,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu was seen as a possible creator of numerous jobs in Ka`u, but the state Public Utilities Commission turned down the proposal that would have put a refinery up Wood Valley Road and trucked the fuel up Hwy 11 to a power plant in Kona. The PUC said that the `Aina Koa Pono proposal would have increased electric rates to customers and that proposals to reduce electric rates should be considered instead. `Aina Koa Pono says it may re-apply and has also talked about growing biofuel crops to refine into transportation fuel, which would not need PUC approval.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC Industries is now asking the Public Utilities Commission for permission to install solar panels on homes at no upfront cost to the homeowners. The plan is for the homeowners to save on electric bills through solar. The proposal awaits PUC approval.

MICHAEL DUBOIS, of Ocean View, has gained the support of Council chairman Dominic Yagong in demanding competitive bids when it comes to the county’s trash and recycling efforts. The issue is the new sorting station that the county plans to operate by investing $9 million and creating new county jobs. 

     According to a report in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, DuBois filed a complaint on Dec. 27 with the county Department of Environmental Management, asking the county to hold off on its new sort station in Hilo in order to call for proposals from the private sector. DuBois, who is known for cleaning up junk vehicles from throughout Ka`u, wrote, “The administration cannot simply expand government services without explaining to the general public islandwide what it intends to accomplish and what it will cost.” He said that the Department of Environmental Management “is in a conflict of interest; the administration is taking an unfair competitive advantage to expand government services rather than explore the possibility that the best possible services exist within the private sector. It is unfair to strike out early and establish an irreversible advantage over its competition and take control of the sort station,” wrote Dubois.

Dominic Yagong pushes for private bids for sorting and
recycling. Photo from Big Island Video News

     According to the Tribune-Herald story, county Environmental Management director Dora Beck said the county plans to go forward with the sort station and that a permit from the state Department of Health should be approved “any day now.” The county plans to extend the life of the Hilo landfill by removing most of the green, paper and organic waste before garbage is disposed there. Using mini-excavators and loaders, workers would sort out recyclables and the rest would be loaded into a truck for the landfill. 

     Both Dubois and Yagong point to private companies that want to install a Materials Recovery Facility and invest private money to build it rather than adding onto county cost and county jobs. The MRF proposals would allow the private companies to collect tipping fees and sell off recyclables.
     Yagong wrote a letter to Mayor Billy Kenoi yesterday, asking for the bidding process to go forward. According to the story Kenoi objected. The garbage plans may become one of the campaign issues should Yagong go forward with running against Kenoi in this year’s mayoral contest.

CAPTAIN ROBERT MOORE AND MEGAN LAMSON present an update on plastics in the ocean this Friday at 5 p.m. at the Volcano Art Center Niaulani Campus. Moore is the author of Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Ocean. Cassandra Phillips, who lives on the Big Island, is co-author. Moore was sailing his 50-foot catamaran from Hawai`i to California when he discovered the Pacific Garbage Patch, full of plastics and other trash from around the Pacific basin, concentrated in a gyre than circulates out at sea. Since the discovery, he has researched the damage discarded plastics are doing to the marine food chain as well as creating hazards to ocean life. Lamson works with Hawai`i Wildlife Fund organizing volunteer clean-up days along the Ka`u coast, where plastic washes up on shore.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 3, 2012

Civil Defense and the National Weather Service warn beachgoers of high surf through Thursday morning. High surf in
the past has produced this explosive activity at the South Point Blowhole. Photo by Peter Anderson

INSURANCE PREMIUM COMPARISONS FOR HOMEOWNERS and renters are available online for the first time, courtesy of the state Insurance Division. Homeowner’s insurance is not required by law in Hawai`i. When a home is mortgaged, however, lenders almost always require insurance for the duration of the loan. Homeowner’s insurance provides protection for the dwelling, personal property, and on-site buildings if damaged or destroyed by a covered peril. 

     The state comparison of insurance costs also includes condominiums. Hawai`i insurance commissioner Gordon Ito said insurance prices were provided by those companies that volunteered to give them out, about half the insurance companies doing business in Hawai`i. “While Hawai`i residents face increasing prices and rising fees, taking advantage of the premium rate comparison table is one way they can help themselves manage costs,” Ito said. “Insurance companies are spurred to lower costs when consumers shop around and compare.” See the comparison charts at www.hawaii.gov/dcca/ins. Some insurance companies charge almost half as much as others.

AN ORANGE ALERT for elevated SO2 blanketed Pahala for seven and a half hours yesterday. In addition, monitors registered more than an hour of moderately bad air on the same day. For orange alerts, the state Department of Health says, “Members in sensitive groups, including healthy individuals with mild asthma, may experience health effects. Toward the upper end of this range, most asthmatics who are active outdoors are likely to experience some breathing difficulties. General public not expected to be affected in this range.” The health department recommends: “Avoid outdoor activities that cause heavy breathing through the mouth. If you experience difficulties, such as chest tightness or wheezing, stop activities, use a rescue inhaler and find a place to sit down and rest. Potential health effects not expected, however actions to reduce exposure to vog may be useful,” says the recommendation. 

     Planners for the new regional disaster shelter and gymnasium to be built in Pahala are deciding how many square feet of shelter area where air can be cleaned from SO2 and particulates will be designed into the building. The project, with more than $17 million released in funding, is overseen by the county Department of Public Works and Department of Parks & Recreation. The architect and engineer is Mitsunaga & Associates of Honolulu. An Environmental Assessment by PBR Hawai`i & Associates is expected in February.

MONSTER WAVES are starting to roll into the islands. The northwest swell is expected to peak with high tide tonight. Water and riptides are expected to be very dangerous. Waves could top 30 feet. This is the first big swell of the year. Be careful at the South Point Blowhole and even along the Kalae cliffs and the beaches at Punalu`u and the shore of Honu`apo.

     Hawai`i County Civil Defense has issued a warning, and the National Weather Service has issued a High Surf Warning for the north, east and west facing shores effective this evening until Thursday morning. Due to the high surf the following safety precautions are in effect, says Civil Defense. Oceanfront residents and beachgoers along the affected shores are urged to be on the alert for high and dangerous surf conditions. Boat owners should take measures to secure their vessels. The National Weather Service reports that surf will increase dramatically tonight and peak Wednesday afternoon.

Lava flowing into the ocean, visible during recent weeks from boats offshore. Photo by Teresa Tico

THE CONTINUOUS ERUPTION of Kilauea Volcano marks 29 years today. Just after midnight on Jan. 3, 1983, the East Rift eruption began. Since then it has taken houses, destroyed beach parks and started forest fires, as well as adding land onto the island. 

     This is also Volcano Awareness Month. Tonight geologist Tim Orr reviews highlights and talks about recent developments on Kilauea’s east rift zone at After Dark in the Park at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donation supports park programs.
     As part of Volcano Awareness Month, guided hikes are scheduled throughout the month. Tomorrow’s hike, exploring the hidden world of lava tubes, begins at 1 p.m. at the Kilauea Iki Overlook on Crater Rim Drive. Park entrance fees apply.

CAPT. ROBERT MOORE AND MEGAN LAMSON will present an update on plastics in the ocean this Friday at 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus. Moore is the author of Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Ocean. Cassandra Phillips, who lives on the Big Island, is co-author. Moore was sailing his 50-foot catamaran from Hawai`i to California when he discovered the Pacific Garbage Patch, full of plastics and other trash from around the Pacific basin, concentrated in a gyre than circulates out at sea. Since the discovery, he has researched the damage discarded plastics are doing to the marine food chain as well as creating hazards to ocean life. Lamson works with Hawai`i Wildlife Fund organizing volunteer clean-up days along the Ka`u coast, where much of the plastic washes up on shore.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 2, 2012

New Year's Day at Punalu`u with a Hawaiian green sea turtle appearing to watch over swimmers, beachgoers and an
outrigger canoe taking the ashes of Punalu`u son, Uncle Chris Bangay, out to sea. Photo by Julia Neal

  

 TOURISM racked up some $12 billion for the Hawai`i economy in 2011, even though businesses and families overall experienced a lot of economic stress. Growth in tourism is expected to continue, particularly from Asia, as Chinese and Korean trends are following the Japanese tradition of coming to Hawai`i. Japanese honeymoon traffic was up 23 percent last year. Also up was Japanese staying in vacation rentals, indicating more independent travel for longer stays. The overall number of people staying in bed and breakfasts increased last year, keeping more of the visitor money in the local economy.


AN ADDITIONAL $235,300 IN DESIGN FUNDS were relesed for the Ka`u FEMA-certified Civil Defense Shelter, to be built next to the Ka`u High campus. This is in addition to the $16.9 million previously released after the state Legislature approved $17.9 for the project. The governor announced the release of the money at the end of the year as portion of a total of more than $63.7 million for projects statewide.

     Mitsunaga & Associates was given the contract for the architecture and engineering for the project which is overseen by the county.

FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY projects for the Big Island were reported this morning by Peter Sur in Hawai`i Tribune Herald in a story on whether the $2.2 billion in government stimulus money helped the state of Hawai`i. He writes that the Legislative Federal Economic Stimulus Program Oversight Commission has filed a draft report on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
     Projects affecting Ka`u include more than nearly $8 million in work in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, including the $6.6 million Emergency Operations Center, which is already completed. The federal money also funded $3.3 million in upgrades for U.S. Geological Survey equipment at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory; and $1 million in mass transit funding.

The Visitor Emergency Operations Center at Hawai`i Volcanoes National
Park was built with federal stimulus money. Photo by Stephen Geiger

     Other projects, according to the Tribune-Herald report, included $16 million for University of Hawai`i at Hilo College of Pharmacy electronic medical record pilot project; more than $3 million for job training and homeless prevention; $4 million for Fire Department equipment and station construction; $7.5 million for sewage systems; $2.69 million for habitat restoration; $4.74 million for drinking water projects; $5.3 million for upgrades to the Hilo federal building; $2.58 million to install photovoltaic systems at the Pohakuloa Training Area; $2.31 million for security improvements at Hilo and Lihu`e airports; $3.6 million for improvements to North Kona and Hamakua public housing projects; $2.64 million in small business loans; and $3.3 million for senior housing.
     According to the Tribune-Herald story, the committee, commenting on the stimulus spending statewide, did not come up with a strong opinion on the spending. “Whether and to what extent the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 accomplished its purpose will not be clear for quite some time and is a question best left to others better qualified and equipped to make that judgment," their report to the 2012 state Legislature said.

THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP AND KAULUNANI URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAMS are reaching out for volunteers to be committee members. Under the auspices of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Forest Stewardship Advisory Committee reviews project proposals and management plans for the Forest Stewardship and Forest Legacy Programs. Ideal candidates are those with significant forestry and/or conservation experience in Hawai`i. The committee meets four times a year in venues throughout the state, and appointments are for three years.
     For further information, contact Sheri Mann, at DLNR-Division of Forestry and Wildlife, 808- 587-4172, or email Sheri.S.Mann@hawaii.gov. Visit hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw.
     The Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program Council reviews proposals to DLNR for funding to encourage citizen involvement in creating and supporting long-term urban and community forestry projects and programs throughout Hawai`i.
     Issues of concern include mapping the urban tree canopy and maintaining a tree inventory; advancing the knowledge of tropical urban forestry, management plans, and best management practices; training for urban forestry industry professionals; and creating public awareness of the value and benefits of trees.
     The council meets four times per year and appointments are for three years. For more information contact Teresa Trueman-Madriaga at 808-672-3383 or by email at ttm@hawaii.rr.com.
     Ka`u and Volcano have the largest pristine native forests in all of Hawai`i.

Uncle Chris Bangay was honored on New Year's
Day at the Henry Opukaha`ia Chapel at Punalu`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

PUNALU`U AND HONU`APO BEACH PARKS were hubs of New Year’s Day activities yesterday. A special ceremony with chanting, prayer and the launching of an outrigger canoe celebrated the life of the late Chris Bangay, who grew up at Punalu`u and was known as a friend to all. Bangay, along with his sister Pele Hanoa, was instrumental in locating historic sites at Punalu`u during various discussions for proposed developments there. He assisted with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in Pahala and was known for his fishing skills and storytelling.

TOMORROW IS THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY of Kilauea’s ongoing east rift zone eruption. Geologist Tim Orr reviews highlights and talks about recent developments on Kilauea’s east rift zone at Tuesday’s After Dark in the Park program at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donation supports park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

CAPTAIN CHARLES MOORE discusses his book Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans on Friday, Jan. 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Moore identified and studied the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where plastic debris from around the North Pacific Rim is swirled together by ocean currents. His book will be available.

Ka'u News Briefs Jan. 1, 2012

Without aerial fireworks, Ka`u residents enjoy firecrackers at home to bring in the New Year. Photo by Julia Neal

COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATE for South Kona, Ka`u and Volcano, Brenda Ford, started off the New Year by releasing a list of accomplishments in her three terms in office serving Kona. Ford’s home was placed in this District 6 with the recent Council district map changes.
     Said Ford, “The rural and agricultural areas of Ka`u, North & South Kona, and Volcano lend themselves to having one representative who understands rural and agricultural areas. Since I have always held an islandwide view in getting projects completed and providing residents and businesses in the more remote areas with better access to government services, I know that I will be able to represent these areas well.”
     She said that being a Council member is not a part-time job. “I am a Council member who works more than full-time to serve the residents and businesses of my district and all other districts as well. I will continue to work in that manner during the next term if I am elected. This is not a part-time job, and the people need and expect a full-time advocate and Council member.”
     IN LISTING FORD’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, Ford said she worked to accomplish the Two- Percent Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Fund and also for a Maintenance Fund for public safety of these lands. Ka`u has been the beneficiary of large tracts of coastal land put into public hands through these funds.
     Ford noted that she worked toward fair and equitable redistricting for elections. She helped set up a Budget Stabilization Fund and county Disaster and Emergency Fund with a minimum of $250,000 in each, as well as a DUI Towing fund to help drunken drivers get a tow home. The South Kona Council member worked on state legislation to use the liquor tax for DUI programs.
     BANNING AQUARIUM FISH COLLECTION from Hawai`i reefs is also one of her campaigns.

Ford promises to protect local ag. products from
unfair labeling. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

     PROTECTING HAWAI`I PRODUCTS from unfair labeling where foreign coffee or macadamia or other inputs are presented as if they are from Hawai`i is another issue tackled by Ford. She said she has worked to establish agricultural product branding to protect each Hawaiian region’s identity and products and by establishing truth in labeling for product content by listing the percent of the ingredient in the total product. She also worked to establish country of origin labeling. 

     ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO VOTE BY MAIL is another Ford initiative for both state and county elections.
     FORD SAID SHE WANTS EXEMPTION FROM PAYING SEWER fees for a decade when a gang cesspool converts to septic. Ford worked with Administration to develop and advocated for federal funds for 26 sewer projects, which she said were desperately needed in seven districts around the island.
     CONCERNING PUBLIC SAFETY, Ford said she has advocated for a police take-home radio policy and funding for radios to enhance officer and resident protection. She helped establish the South Kona Police 24/7 Station.
     Ford praised outgoing District 6 member Brittany Smart, who announced that she will not run again. “I commend Ms. Smart for her work in representing her district and working with the Council to advance legislation to help all of our residents. She is highly intelligent, easy to work with, and committed to serving her constituents. I will miss her on the Council next term,” Ford said.

Kilauea's ongoing east rift zone eruption is the topic at After Dark in the
Park Tuesday at 7 p.m.  Photo from USGS/HVO

THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY of Kilauea’s ongoing east rift zone eruption is on Tuesday, Jan. 3, Geologist Tim Orr reviews highlights and talks about recent developments on Kilauea’s east rift zone during After Dark in the Park at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donation supports park programs, and park entrance fees apply. 

JANUARY IS VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH. Along with After Dark in the Park programs each Tuesday evening, many guided hikes are scheduled in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park throughout the month. On Wednesdays at 1 p.m., hikers discover the hidden world of lava tubes on a 1.5-mile, one-hour hike to Thurston Lava Tube. Flashlights recommended. Meet at Kilauea Iki Overlook on Crater Rim Drive.
     The Pu`uloa Hike, on Thursdays at 1 p.m., visits one of Hawai`i’s most extensive petroglyph fields on a two-mile, 1.5-hour hike along one of Kilauea’s coastal trails. Meet at the parking lot on the Chain of Craters Road.
     Hiking along Devastation Trail on Fridays at 1 p.m., participants learn about the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption and how the devastated forest has recovered in the years since during this 1.5-hour hike. Meet at Pu`u Paui parking lot on Crater Rim Drive.
     A 2.7-mile, two- or three-hour hike into the Volcano on Saturdays at 1 p.m. goes down to the floor of Kilauea caldera and back up to explore Kilauea’s rain forest and volcanic landscape. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center.